Toilet seat bracket



Patenterl Dec. 15, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOILET SEAT BRACKET Frederick J. Deal, Kansas City, Kans.

Application April 16, 1941, Serial No. 388,862

1 Claim.

This invention relates to attachments for toilets having hingedly mounted seats and the primary object is to provide a unitary bracket, mountable upon the conventional toilet bowl and provided with parts disposed to urge the hingedly mounted seat toward the inoperative or open position and another part placed to limit the movement of the seat toward the open position, whereby the said seat will always normally be maintained in a position where the toilet may be kept sanitary and the seat thereof in a place where contamination is not likely to occur.

One of the important aims of this invention is the provision of a toilet seat bracket comprising means for quickly and easily attaching the same in the operative position and a single piece spring formed to create elements disposable on each side of the toilet seat, one of which is more yieldable than the other whereby the seat may be lowered for use against the strength of the spring, but which spring will lift the seat without manual manipulation when weight thereon is released.

A yet further aim of this invention is to provide a bracket of the aforementioned character, that is exceptionally easy to install, durable, inexpensive to manufacture, and adaptable for use on all of the conventional toilet seats.

Other objects of the invention will appear during the course of the following specification,

referring to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a toilet seat showing a bracket made in accordance with this invention, in the operative position.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the bracket and a portion of the toilet seat.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view taken on line III-III of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a similar sectional view taken on line IVIV of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrow.

Toilets of the type with which this bracket is particularly useful, comprises a bowl 6 and a seat 8 hingedly mounted through the medium of member ID, a portion of which is in the form of a pair of spaced apart bolts l2 projecting downwardly through a flange I4 on the bowl 6. These bolts 12 are normally spaced apart a standard distance and therefore, the hereinafter mentioned bracket is easily placed through the employment of these bolts 12 simply by removing nuts [5.

The bracket per se comprises a flat plate 16 having openings I8 for the reception of bolts l2. Loops 20 struck upwardly from plate 16 grip a portion of the spring element, generally designated by the numeral 22 and which when in one position, presents a pair of normally upstanding elements 24 and 26 for engaging the front and rear faces respectively of seat 8.

Spring element 22 is preferably made of a single length of spring wire wound upon floating rod 28 to create a pair of coiled portions 30. Spring element 24 is in the form of a U-shaped yoke, the legs 32 of which merge with the proximal ends of coiled portions ilil, while the bight 34 carries roller 35 for direct engagement with one side of seat 8. Spring element 22 has two lengths 38 lying directly upon the face of plate l6 and threaded through loops 29. The ends of this unitary spring element 22 project upwardly from plate I6 and are slightly longitudinally arched to engage one side of seat 8 opposite to that side engaged by roller 36.

Arms 26 extend upwardly from plate Hi to a point farther removed therefrom than roller 36, and a bumper 40 of resilient material, such as rubber, is carried by the free ends of. arms 26.

When mounting the bracket, nuts I5 are loosened as heretofore mentioned, and bolts I2 withdrawn from their normal position. Plate I6 is set between hinge member l0 and the upper surface of bowl 6 and then bolts I2 are threaded through the perforations I8 of plate l6 and moved back to their normal location. Nuts l5 are then tightened and seat 8 is again ready for movement to and from the position shown in dotted lines of Fig. 1.

Normally, elements 24 and 26 of the bracket are in engagement with seat 8 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 (full lines). When it is desired to lower the seat for use, pressure is exerted thereon sufficient to flex the coiled portions 36 of the spring as well as other parts thereof, and roller 36 moves along one side of seat 8 as the seat is drawn to the horizontal position upon bowl 6. When downward pressure on seat 8 is released, the energy in the entire spring element 22, forwardly of its attachment with plate l6, will force the seat back to the vertical or inoperative position and against arms 26. These arms are resilient and prevent the movement of the seat to a degree that will be destructive thereto.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A toilet seat bracket of the character described comprising a perforated plate adapted for attachment to the hinge member of the seat; a unitary spring element mounted on the plate; and a floating rod, said spring element having coiled portions wrapped around the rod at each end thereof, a U-shaped yoke extending laterally from the rod near the center thereof for engagement with one side of the toilet seat at :3.

point spaced from the hinge thereof, and a pair of upstanding arms for engagement with the opposite side of the seat, said yoke having a roller on the bight thereof, said upstanding arms being longitudinally arched and provided with resilient coverings.

FREDERICK J. DEAL. 

